A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of spending the day with lovely Emma, from Fleurrebelle. For a one to one flower workshop. Now Emma has to be one of the most kind and thoughtful souls I have ever met. She booked onto the class back in January and it was only a few months later through the sharing of stories via Instagram I realised that she had conceived her twin boys through IVF (for those of you who missed my previous IVF journey post you can find it here).

I reached out to Emma telling her of my journey and she was full of kind words and advice. Whilst in the mist of treatment, I was having a particularly challenging day. When I arrived home there was a surprise package waiting for me. Goodies to pamper myself with and help me relax during treatment, I know so unbelievably thoughtful, right? It made me smile on a rubbish day and will be something I shall never forget. It reminded me of the power that spreading kindness has and the positive impact it manifests.

During our one to one flower workshop. The first half of the day was spent focusing on the business and marketing side of Fleurebelle. Covering key areas that Emma felt she was struggling with. From costing and pricing her flowers, for weddings to finding her style and marketing the business. To reflect her brand in the best light. It was a morning of brainstorming, plotting and putting plans in place. We can become so bogged down and overwhelmed by all the responsibilities that being a business owner entails. We often can’t ‘see the wood through the trees.’ Stepping away from our usual surroundings. Talking about our thoughts and concerns with someone else, can help to see scenarios from a fresh perspective.

Sharing ideas with other people sparks creativity too as you bounce off each other. Something else that one can miss when working alone. The thoughts and interactions we have with others, can reignite our passion for what we do. We spent the afternoon creating bridal bouquets and immersing ourselves with the flowers. During our one to one Emma was keen to gain more confidence with creating natural whimsical bouquets. Bridal bouquets that have a loose and organic feel to them. Her worries were that she tends to over think things and often finds she crams too many ingredients in. Loosing the bouquets natural shape. Which is a very good point and one of the key elements to bare in mind when designing a bridal bouquet. Being aware and knowing when to stop. Something that us florists can find tricky, as we are constantly ‘faffing’ to ensure the bouquet is perfect.

Taking a five minute break and coming back I often find works wonders! Nine times out of ten what you thought needed tweaking, really didn’t need changing at all. The bouquets were created adopting my front facing technique. A method I prefer to use as I feel it creates a  more natural shape, as opposed to a round bouquet. The flowers were vibrant and summery, just perfect for July! The melody of varieties included bright British Dahlias, Scabious, Salvia. With it’s pretty pink variegated tips and Achillea. Paired with Rene Goscinny garden roses that have the most delicate smelling scent. Echinacea in a rich magenta tone, the last of the seasons sweet peas, flowering mint and straw flower, which last ages!

The asymmetric shape that Emma created with her bouquet I adore and the luxuriant dusky pink silk ribbon from C Fleurs Design adds the perfect finishing touch. One of the subjects that came up in conversation is if I had a set formula I use when selecting my colour pallets? I thought this was a really interesting question. The answer to which is no, I like to be open and experiment. Unless of course we have a specific design brief we are working on for one of our weddings or events that is. That’s what I delight in when visiting the flower market, that I can see what catches my eye and what I’m gravitating more towards on the day.

Creating colour combinations and seeing them come together is one of aspects to working with flowers that I adore. The unexpected surprise when you have a colour mix that blends together even more beautifully then you expected will always make my heart sing!

Hopefully after our one to one flower workshop Emma left feeling inspired and energised with an action plan to move Fleurrebelle forward. She has so many magnificent ideas, I can’t wait for her to begin putting them in place. I’m excited to see her business journey unfold, watch this space as they say! If you would like to find out more about our one to one classes or our business mentoring services check out the website.

Image Credits: Claire Graham Photography